


Graduation

by WakeUpDreaming



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Driving laws, Graduation, M/M, alcohol mention, tomfoolery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23209036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakeUpDreaming/pseuds/WakeUpDreaming
Summary: Henry is late for Alex's graduation, and this is not great.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 6
Kudos: 148





	Graduation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this book is perfect and I love it.

“Holy shit, you’re not drinking,” says Nora, a dopey grin on her face. “Are you pregnant?”

“Shut up,” Alex says, “I’ve got to be sober for the speech.”

“Says Alex Claremont-Diaz for the first time in history,” Nora continues. “How’s it feel, Mr. Lawyer Boy?”

“First of all, it’s Mr. Lawyer Man,” Alex corrects. “Second, it’s pretty damn great.” He chugs his water, trying to get rid of the anxiety in his throat. “Totally awesome.”

Nora raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, shut up.”

Nora puts her hands palm up. “I didn’t say anything.”

‘No, but your perfect damn eyebrows did.”

She grins. “You think so? June did them.”

“Of course she did.” He starts struggling to get his gown on, and find himself stuck in the sleeve. “Nora?”

“Oh, get over here, you dope.” Nora adjusts the far too many places to get stuck in and gets the coat ready. “You realize there’s a zipper on this, right?”

Alex tries to look indignant. “Yes.”

She raises a perfect eyebrow again.

“Maybe. No. Shut up, I’m stressed.” He looks behind him. “Any sign of Henry?”

Nora shakes her head. “Or June, either.”

Alex begins to wonder if something really good or really bad has happened, but he decides to put it away in the back of his mind until the speech, where he’ll find his love in the crowd.

~

Henry, the goddamn menace, isn’t in the crowd, at least not where Alex can see. The speech in front of him is easy to say and recite, since it’s something he’s rehearsed for ages and this is nothing compared to speaking in front of the entire goddamn nation, but still. The fact that Henry isn’t here feels wrong.

He’s beginning to assume it’s something really bad.

“And in the long run,” he concludes, the last paragraph in front of him, this moment may just be a flicker in our lives, a check mark in our own personal to do list that will launch us into success. But for right now, let it sink in: we now have earned the power to change the world. Celebrate it. Celebrate yourself. We did it.”

The cheer in the crowd grows loud, and Alex steps down, wondering why Henry isn’t next to his sister and Nora in the little protected section on the side. Except, when he looks, June still isn’t there either.

He tries not to let it get to him. He tries not to think about how Henry and Shaan were picking her up from the airport. He tries not to worry.

The answer comes when they’ve congratulated the class for the last time, as the hats go up into the air.

Through the commotion, he hears, “Alex!” He whips his head around as the throng of law students begins to disperse, and there’s Nora and Amy next to some very familiar people.

There’s Henry, standing there, looking a little ruffled, next to June. Her smile is almost as big as Henry’s. Shaan, on the other hand, looks magnificently peeved.

“You missed my speech!” Alex exclaims, and he lets a little pout go, just for the effect.

“Oh, that’s his fault,” June says, and her absurd grin makes Alex absolutely need to know what happened.

“Oh, really?” Alex replies, turning to Henry. “Your fault?”

Henry turns red and mumbles something incoherent.

“I can translate that for you,” June chirps, clearly having too good of a time. “We forgot we were in the US.”

Alex blinks. “How. How did you -”

“Look, it’s not my fault you and your bloody country are all kinds of backwards,” Henry says in a huff.

“Again,” June says, “I can translate. He drove on the wrong side of the road, got pulled over, and Shaan and I had the stress of not dying of laughter while he was given a sobriety test.”

Henry’s face is the color of a stoplight. “That’s the last time I’m driving in this city.”

Alex looks between the two of them, then to Shaan. “I’m sorry, what?”

“He’s never allowed to drive again,” Shaan summarizes.

Alex sighs. “To be fair, you let him.”

Henry lights up. “Wait a second, you’re on my side?”

Alex nods. “Yeah, I need you in a good mood for later.”

“In a – what?”

Alex grins. “I didn’t say anything. Did you hear anything?”

Henry’s eyes widen, and Alex tries not to wiggle in delight. He feels like a kid with a secret this big.

“What?!”

“Heard nothing,” Shaan adds. “Except for a small FSOTUS being incorrect.”

“Again, you let him drive,” Alex corrects. “And now we shall commence the partying. Who’s driving home?”

“Me,” Amy says, looking around the group of them. “This is why none of you are allowed on your own. It’s mayhem.”

“It’s entertaining mayhem,” June says.

Amy and Shaan hit her with a joint glare that makes Alex wonder if they’ve practiced it for situations like this. June, for her credit, doesn’t buckle under the pressure.

“That’s a good idea. That way we can all get schwastey in the back seat,” Nora says.

“Schwastey?” Henry asks. “Is this more American slang I have to learn?”

“No, baby, we know you struggle with left and right, so we wouldn’t add new slang,” Alex says, kissing Henry on the back of the hand. “That’s a Nora-ism.”

Henry glares at Alex, but there’s a hint of affection there. It’s one of Alex’s favorite expressions. “You’re an arse.”

“We say ‘ass’ in the United States.”

“Oh, would you shut – nevermind.”

Instead of telling him to shut up, Henry kisses Alex.

It’s going to be a great evening.


End file.
